Monday, 24 August 2015

Pre-Release Spotlight: Code Of Honor by Missy Johnson.

In a series debut for fans of Tracy Wolff and Sylvia Day, New York Timesbestselling author Missy Johnson asks a burning question: What happens when love is undeniable—and taboo?

Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone, the kind of guy women want and men respect. At twenty-three, he’s survived tragedies that would break men twice his age. And he owes it all to his father’s closest friend, Giovanni Spontagio, who took him in as an orphaned teenager. Pietro would give his life for Giovanni . . . but his heart belongs to Giovanni’s daughter.

Raised in Chicago under the spotlight of power and privilege, Lucy Spontiago feels most alive on stage. Determined to become a prima ballerina, she escapes her father’s protective gaze long enough
to audition for the ballet in New York City. Soon, however, Lucy realizes that she is not alone. Pietro is watching her back. And though he’s like a brother to her, Lucy cannot deny the thrill she feels knowing his eyes are on her.

Pietro could never betray his mentor by sleeping with his only child. But Lucy follows her passions, no matter how forbidden. Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.

My hands shake as I sit down on the
floor and begin my stretches. I glance around, taking in the hundreds
of girls who are here for the same reason as I am. To follow their
dreams and perform with one of the top ballet companies in the world.
This is every little girl’s dream.

Who am I kidding? I don’t even
know why I’m here.

Wait, yes I do. I was unwittingly
roped into coming here by my supposed best friend and my number one
fan, Bella. If I trip over my clumsy feet and make a fool of myself,
I’ll never forgive her.

When I found out she’d filled out
the application on my behalf I’d been so annoyed that I refused to
speak to her for days, but now sitting here, about to perform, I’m
thankful that she believed in me that much.

Since I was a child, the only
constant in my life has been my dancing. It sheltered me from the
pain of watching my mother succumb to cancer. It gave me hope when
all felt lost. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life
but at the same time I was plagued with self-doubt. I was constantly
comparing myself to others, always convinced I’d never be good
enough.

“Luce, if you don’t try, how do
you know what you’re capable of?” Bella had said after I’d
received notification of my audition date. I’d screamed at her for
applying on my behalf, but what she was saying made sense. If I
wanted to do this, I needed to know
I could. How could I
expect others to believe in me if I didn’t believe in myself?

“Lucia Spontagio?”

My heart jumps as I get to my feet.
I run my hands down over my smooth tights, trying to focus only on
getting inside that room. I walk in and smile at the line of
officials. Some I recognize as well-known choreographers and dancers,
some I don’t know at all.

“When you’re ready.”

I nod and position myself in the
center of the room. I’ve been to auditions before, but none this
important. The next few minutes had the ability to completely change
the course of my life. No pressure, right?

Just dance like you’re the only
one in the room.

I knew my chances of being accepted
into this company were extremely low, no matter how outstanding my
results were from college, or how many local productions I’d
excelled in, and for a brief moment I want to kill Bella for setting
me up for what was bound to be the ultimate failure.

If you keep thinking like that
you don’t deserve a place.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep
breath and begin to dance as the soft notes of Bach fill my head. I
forget where I am, and just like that, I’m back dancing in the
studio my father built for me after I begged him for somewhere to
dance.

Every day and every night I’d
spend hours practicing in my studio, with the help of one of the best
instructors in Chicago. Who said money couldn’t buy happiness? If
there was one thing my father was good at, it was ensuring his little
girl had everything she wanted.

Missy Johnson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia, with her husband and her confused pets (a dog who thinks that she is a cat, a cat
who thinks he is a dog . . . you get the picture). When she’s not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.

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How many stars?

When posting a review, I don't usually add a star rating. That is something I do as part of cross-posting on Goodreads and Amazon. If you like stars, then all reviews I post would be at least 3 stars or above. Meaning, I enjoyed the book.